Gluten free at Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen

When I visited Houston for the first time, I really wanted to find a Mexican restaurant that I could safely eat at. Many Mexican restaurants in the US use flour tortillas & shared fryers, meaning that even the chips are often unsafe. After some research, I stumbled upon Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen. I chose this restaurant because it has a separate labeled gluten free menu AND if you have celiac, they will bake their chips (instead of frying them in a shared fryer) so that you can enjoy chips & salsa. Since I was flying back to LA that afternoon, I especially didn’t want to end up sick in the bathroom.

Cyclone Anaya’s has several locations throughout the Houston area–I only visited one of them (1710 Durham Drive). We went on a Sunday afternoon and the place wasn’t too busy yet. Immediately after I informed the staff that I have celiac, I was brought a gluten free menu. There weren’t many options–and if you are vegetarian or have a shellfish allergy as well as celiac, you don’t have any options. Most options contain seafood or meat. I settled on the Cyclone’s Soft Tacos with beef since I am not a fan of seafood. Before ordering, I grilled the wait staff on all things cross contamination. Since I was not ordering anything fried, I felt comfortable.

I was very happy when the staff brought out my gluten free chips & salsa separate from everyone else. They even gave me my own salsa, knowing that the other chips would contaminate them. Kudos to them! I appreciated their ability and willingness to bake the chips, but the chips were soggy and soft–not very good at all, but still edible. But the salsa was incredible! It was spicy and full of flavor. I had two salsas to eat. I preferred the salsa verde over the other.

My meal was good, but very small. 80% of my meal was just sauce! I was shocked with how little food I actually got and then I paid for extra rice because I was still hungry. The meat was seasoned and cooked well. The corn tortillas were great and the rice was my favorite part. The food was definitely overpriced for what we got, but the staff understood cross contamination and had options that I felt were safe for me.

Overall, I was able to enjoy a lunch out with friends and try some Mexican food so it was a great day. On my next visit to Houston, I would try a new place. The menu (and portions) was small & not a lot of fish-free options. BUT I felt comfortable with the restaurant’s knowledge of celiac and the ability to have some options!

**Please note that this review solely reflects my own honest opinion. I was neither paid nor compensated for my visit here. Also, kitchen protocols and menus can change at any time. Make sure to speak to the staff at any restaurant before eating to make sure that they can accommodate your dietary restriction.**